To Heaven and Back Earns ECPA Platinum Award  

Charlene Guzman 719-264-5698  cguzman@penguinrandomhouse.com 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Apr. 11, 2016)—The remarkable account of a doctor’s death, journey to heaven and return to life, as depicted in To Heaven and Back by Dr. Mary C. Neal (WaterBrook), has sold more than one million copies and has been honored with the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) Platinum Award. Established in 1990, the Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Book Awards recognize outstanding sales achievement in Christian literature. ECPA bestows the Platinum Award to titles that have sold at least one million copies. The organization will present this year’s awards at the 2016 Leadership Summit, scheduled for May 3rd in Nashville, TN.

Originally released in 2012, To Heaven and Back spent 14 weeks ranked #1 on the New York Times “Advice, How To, Misc. Best-seller List.” Neal’s after-life experience was featured on national media including CNN, Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network, “Today,” “Fox and Friends,” “Inside Edition,” “Hour of Power,” and “The 700 Club” as well as dozens of radio programs. She’s was also featured in The Wall Street Journal, Guideposts, Christianity Today and most recently, Parade Magazine.

Neal’s New York Times best-seller details a kayak accident in South America where Neal drowned, visited heaven, communicated with angels, and was sent back to earth to accomplish God’s mission for her life.

“I certainly didn’t want to return to Earth, but was given information about some of the work I had yet to complete…I was expected to share my experiences and my story with others, helping transform their faith into complete trust that God keeps His promises,” Neal explains.

To Heaven and Back inspires readers worldwide to pursue a deeper relationship with God. Neal describes how her experience of heaven completely changed her life and invites readers to allow the truth of heaven to transform their own lives as well.

“Before we return to Heaven, our real home, we have an incredible opportunity on Earth to face challenges that will help us learn, grow and to become more Christ-like in the fruits of our spirit. Our time is so short that we need to be about God’s business every day,” said Neal.

For more information on To Heaven and Back, please visit waterbrookmultnomah.com or drmaryneal.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mary C. Neal, MD is an orthopaedic surgeon. She studied at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine, completed her orthopaedic residency at the University of Southern California and is fellowship-trained as a spinal surgeon. She is the former director of spine surgery at the University of Southern California and is a founding partner of Orthopaedic Associates of Jackson Hole. She has served as a church elder, on several non-profit organization boards and created the Willie Neal Environmental Awareness Fund. Neal lives with her family in Jackson Hole, WY.